She brings a parent's perspective to the board. She is the mother of two school-age boys, one in elementary school and one in middle school. Horst is a strong advocate for Clarkston schools and has been an active volunteer the past seven years. She has served as PTA president at Springfield Plains Elementary School and on the Clarkston PTA Council.

She has worked in higher education, serving as director of communications at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. Since moving to Clarkston, she has served as a consultant to universities on branding and marketing. Her experience with these organizations is priceless.

Horst is committed to strengthening our community's confidence and trust in our schools. She believes it is time for residents to "come see for themselves" by visiting a classroom. An informed community will be proud of the teaching and learning occurring in Clarkston classrooms.

Clarkston schools face issues that impact education, such as funding, achievement, accountability, responsible budgeting, assessment and transparency. Her experience can serve as catalyst to help move the board of forward.

As a retired educator in the Clarkston school district and as a lifelong resident of the community, I am impressed with Kelli Horst as an superior candidate for Clarkston Board of Education. Please join me in voting for her on Nov. 6.

America is swamped by massive debt and wrong decisions. Defending the wreckage is President Obama with statements: "You did not build it" and "You did not earn it," that affirm a plan of redistribution of wealth. The next step in the path to the dissolution of Americans freedom is, "You don't own it."

The rest of the story is not pleasant for those still unaware of 20th century history. The trend toward serfdom directed by bureaucrats started with ObamaCare. This legislation illustrates creeping socialism and a broader application of abortion.

Our nation was formed by the faithful who followed the wisdom of John Locke and Adam Smith. These thinkers discovered the framework for a free market economy based in self-reliance and individual effort. This allowed a mobile population to seek and use the fertile benefits of competition. They ignited powerful engines of opportunity with beneficial results and personal satisfaction on scales unknown before. It was built around the sanctity of private ownership.

Hope and change were launched in 2008, only to quickly crash. There was no evidence of leadership. There were hopeless green experiments such as Solyndra, czars and blatant patronage to friends. Volumes will be written on the cascading drop of confidence in American leadership. We are desperate now to renew confidence so that young Americans will have a future, and respect from the international community.